Here is another painting I forgot to write about, I completed it just in time for the Art in Action Studio Tour. It’s another large painting – 4’x4′ – so far this one and Gemma’s Rose have just sat in my studio while I went about creating more paintings. I will have to see about getting them out into the public eye soon … but right now I have a number of other irons in the fire.
In The thinking place, you can see I was exploring the use of dashes of colour, like I used in my peacock paintings. There is just something playful about the juxtaposition of whimsical pattern with a realistic scene, that makes me happy.
I love the peacefulness of this scene, such a great place to sit and contemplate, either the real location, or just facing the painting. I think it reminds you to slow down, take the time to enjoy Nature, stare at the clouds, the ripples in the water, the beautiful flowers.
Let me know if you’d like to try this painting out in your house to see how it transforms your space. If you live nearby, I can bring a selection of paintings for you to choose from. With a small business like mine (one short individual wearing lots of hats), you are guaranteed the personal touch!
I’d like to thank you all for following my painting adventures last year, and I look forward to sharing new experiences with you in 2015.
I have some exciting things planned, some I can talk about … like teaching art classes in my studio in Burlington, and some that are still hush hush.
Blue Roots Art Studio
This year, I want to build a series of Fernscape paintings, combining realism and abstraction, for a solo exhibition.
Since my last solo exhibition in St. Lucia in 2012, I’ve been experimenting and looking for something in my art. I’ve had some breakthroughs, and now I’m ready to work on a solid series.
If the art I did before could be seen as my Sunny Tropical Foliage & Flower series, then I think you could say the work I’ve been doing lately could be seen as part of a Night Garden series.
There are yin and yang forces at work here, the light and the dark, the night and the day. Somehow it feels necessary to complete the circle, to represent both sides.
“Watching”, original acrylic painting by Donna Grandin, prize for Christmas Contest 2014
I’d just like to announce the winner of the painting for my first ever painting give-away. Actually, I just pulled my son aside during our Christmas celebrations to do the draw. Here’s the video …
Congratulation to the winner! Here is a better photo of the painting ….
Watching, 4″x5″, acrylic on canvas, Donna Grandin
Enjoy the rest of your Holidays!
Donna Grandin
Blue Roots Art Studio
It is an abstraction inspired by a peacock feather mask that I bought in the Leeds Castle gift shop in England in 2001. The mask hung in my studio for more than a decade before I finally pulled it out to use as a still-life subject during the 30 paintings in 30 days challenge I did in September. I have done a few other paintings in this series, and I’m sure I will return to add to it.
Donna in front of Burlington City Hall, Culture Days 2014, acrylic painting demonstration
The Culture Days launch was wonderful, it was my first time painting live at an outdoor event, chatting with the public and enjoying the live music just a few feet away from my booth.
There was this magical moment for me when I was more than half-way through the painting, and a new band started playing, their sound was so liquid, soothing and mesmerizing, I felt my hand holding the paintbrush moving to the slow hypnotic rhythm. I would say that the live music certainly added another layer of influence to the painting.
I put together a little slide-show to show the progress of the painting throughout the afternoon, and you can see how drastically the painting seems to change in the night when the lights were changing colour in Burlington Civic Square. The combination of music, patterning and lighting was very interesting, bringing movement, and various interpretations to the image.
Thank you to those of you with the City of Burlington – and to my brother and his wife who were visiting – for everything you did to contribute to making this a memorable event! Here is a video showcasing Culture Days 2014 in Burlington.
I’m also happy to have been included in the promotional Burlington Arts and Culture video – Many voices, one vision – that Mayor Rick Goldring introduced that night, even if it is a blip with bad lighting (1:12-1:13), because I am proud to be part of, and to advocate for, the local arts community.
Update: This is the final version of this painting
Donna Grandin with her paintings during Art in Action Burlington studio tour 2014
This year my studio was on the Art in Action Burlington Studio Tour for the 3rd time. It was nice to see both new and familiar faces, and to have some great art conversations.
Thanks to those of you who came from near and far – especially my supporters from Toronto, Whitby, Hamilton & Caledonia!
Saturday morning was grey and windy … with the first snowfall of the season! So, we had fewer visitors than last year, which was a pity.
However, the first reports coming in are that sales were about the same as last year, so I guess a little snow and rain didn’t deter those who really enjoy visiting local artists in their studios and shopping for unique, hand-made items.
Some of Donna’s newest paintings
The blue peacock-inspired painting on the top right was painted to live music during the Culture Days event in front of Burlington City Hall.
It was very difficult to photograph (shiny), so I had a professional photographer do it. Then I had technical issues with my laptop and had to go without it for a few weeks, but I still plan on doing a blog post about the Culture Days event later this month.
Some art from the “30 paintings in 30 days Challenge” that Donna did in Jan and Sept this year.
A few of these little daily paintings sold during the tour, others are going to a new store opening later this month in St. Lucia. More details to come.
Catching up with fellow artists
Lois Shaw and her still-life oil paintings
Lois Shaw’s realistic still-lifes were very popular on the tour, as were her necklaces with slumped glass pendents. Unfortunately, Louise Young, the jeweller who was supposed to be the other guest artist in my studio, had to cancel. However Lois and I had more than enough paintings to fill the space.
The rose painting above the doors was on my easel during last year’s tour. It’s 48″ x 48″, and so far it’s only been out of my studio for the Culture Days event.
Thanks to Teresa Seaton & all the other Art in Action members who each contribute to making this event go smoothly each year.
Some people came alone, some in pairs & others by the carload – or in this case a convoy of 3 cars!
My cousin Patrice and her daughters came to show their support. And pick up some more of my blank art cards.
Ursuline & her friends came in from Toronto. Here she is putting her Christmas contest entry into the box.
I decided I’m going to do a draw for a dragonfly painting (“Watching”), on Christmas day.
There were entry forms available on the studio tour, for those who subscribed to my Blue Roots Art Studio Mailing List.
Look out for other opportunities for you to enter the Christmas contest, through social media.
There are refreshments at each of the studios, usually I make hot apple cider.
There is still time to pick up something special for under the tree, just take a look at the paintings still available, and send me an e-mail to arrange pick-up/delivery.
It’s that time of year again, where I give the studio a fresh coat of paint, hang my latest paintings and invite the public in for the Art in Action Burlington Studio Tour. This year – Nov 1 & 2 – my guest artist is Lois Shaw with her realistic still-life paintings. Unfortunately, jeweller Louise Young has had to cancel again.
However there will be more than enough art to view, and perhaps collect. Lois & I will have original paintings in a variety of sizes & greeting cards, perfect for gift-giving – especially if you’d like to treat yourself to something special to put under your own tree!
Art in Action pre-tour exhibition, Art Gallery of Burlington
On Oct 19th we had a reception for the pre-tour group exhibition at the Art Gallery of Burlington. The Mayor of Burlington, Rick Goldring, said a few words, and so did Denis Longchamps, chief curator of the AGB.
Thanks to CHCH for filming – my brother-in-law texted me to say he’d just seen me on the news, I think my street-cred just went up with the family! The AGB show runs until Nov 13th and is a sampling of all the art that will be on the tour. It is not just paintings and sculpture, there is wonderful jewellery as well.
Donna at Art in Action pre-tour reception, Art Gallery of Burlington
Take a look at the Art in Action 2014 map and plan your route – we are in studio #8. Carpool with your girl friends, or make it a date – or double date – and try to see as many of the studios as you can. You can win $100-$200. towards art by your favourite artist by filling out the ballot on the Art in Action brochures.
Here is a collage to show the paintings I submitted (created) for Leslie Saeta’s 30 paintings in 30 days challenge. Take a look at the collages some of the other participating artists posted today!
I only painted 22 or so new paintings during that time, because I took the last week off to spend some time with my brother and his wife who were visiting from London, England, AND to prepare/participate in Culture Days Burlington.
Still, I am very happy with what I did accomplish, considering all what I had going on during those 3 weeks. If I had just said I was too busy to take on the challenge, I would have completed far fewer paintings.
IF you have been following my blog, you may be wondering how the Culture Days event went … for now I’ll just say it went great! I want to touch up my painting a little before posting though.
Meanwhile, here is a video clip promoting Culture in Burlington, I make a 2 second cameo about halfway … you might recognize the paintings behind me!
If you are in the Burlington, Ontario area you will see some of my 30 in 30 paintings in my studio during the Art in Action Studio tour, Nov 1 &2. They are also available online.
No, you did not enter the Twilight Zone! I painted this playful little piece a few months ago when I discovered paint markers, and I wanted to explore pattern. It was fun, but I was not sure how it fit in with my body of work, so I tucked it away somewhere in my studio.
There was a point when I was embarrassed by my “experiments”, and after photographing them, I would gesso over the image and reuse the canvas. Now when I look back, I realize that these little paintings are stepping stones, and seen individually as little islands they may not make a lot of sense, but from a distance (or rather, in time) we can see how they link up to create a path.
My work, in general has been evolving in the last 2 years, and I have been laying down more and more stepping stones. Finally, I am starting to connect them, and I am really excited about the direction I am moving in. There is still a lot of work to do, but I have a vision now of where I want to go.
Eventually I will do a post to show the progression of this idea, but for now let me just say that this “Surreal Garden” full of alien looking plants was the step before the peacock paintings.
Stay tuned!
BLUE ROOTS ART STUDIO – acrylic paintings of Caribbean & Canadian landscape, flowers & foliage. Burlington, ON, Canada. 905-639-3419
